SERIESFEST ANNOUNCES WINNERS OF THE SEASON 5 INDEPENDENT PILOT COMPETITION & AWARDS RECIPIENTS |
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Honors Awarded in Categories for ‘Digital Short Series,’ ‘Independent Dramatic Pilot,’ Recipients of ‘Storytellers Initiative’ in Partnership with Elysium Bandini Studios, ‘Jan Marino Scholarship’ in Partnership with Stephens College M.F.A. and ‘Women Directing Mentorship’ in Partnership with Shondaland and ‘International Innovator’ in Partnership with Liberty Global Revealed! |
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SeriesFest, the award-winning international television festival and non-profit organization dedicated This year’s pilots showcased an unprecedented level of storytelling,” commented Randi Kleiner and A leader in independent development, SeriesFest has been the launching pad for over a dozen independent projects that later secured mainstream distribution. Most recently, the winner of four awards at SeriesFest: Season 3, Up North, received a greenlight for eight episodes from Byron Allen’s Entertainment Studios. Creator, Emil Pinnock, also signed a blind script deal with Blumhouse Television and has been tapped to pen an untitled Daymond John project. Over the six-day festival, the recipients of three annual initiatives, “Storytellers,” Just ahead of the “Shondaland 2.0” panel over the weekend with Akua Murphy, Anna Deavere Smith, Katie Lowes and Alison Eakle, director Rachel Myers (Wendy’s Shabbat) was announced as the recipient of the “Women Directing Mentorship.” Rachel will shadow a director for an episode of a Shondaland original series and a $5,000 stipend to use during the duration of their mentorship. SeriesFest announced Mary Robbins as the recipient of the Jan Marino Scholarship, designed to support women over 55 who are students in the Stephens College M.F.A. in Television and Screenwriting program. Named to honor author Jan Marino, the mother of M.F.A. student and SeriesFest Board Co-Chair Betsy Marino Leighton, the scholarship nurtures the power of strong, independent female storytelling in television and film; and Liberty Global and SeriesFest presented the inaugural ‘International Innovator’ award to Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, creator of ‘Fundamental,’ alongside Global Fund for Women. A lively discussion with Global Fund for Women and the Biennial of Americas followed a screening of Obaid-Chinoy’s film series, focused on “Women’s Rights. At the closing ceremony, SeriesFest, in partnership with Elysium Bandini Studios, announced that the Storytellers Initiative, a program created to discover original episodic writers, was awarded to Amanda Dreschler & Michael Livingston from the pilot project, Forgive Us Father. This season’s SeriesFest: Season 5 is presented with generous support from sponsors including Denver Film Society, Liberty Global, Once Upon a Time Productions, Xfinity, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, Fries Foundation, Coca-Cola, i-Heart Media and JEEP. |
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WINNERS – INDEPENDENT PILOT – COMEDYJury: Nina Dobrev (Actress/Producer), Sean Walsh (Manager, Strategy, ABC Entertainment) and David Rubin (Agent, Gersh) Best Pilot: Brooklyn Moving CompanyCreators: Ryan Harrington, Isaac Himmelman Producers: Krysia Plonka, Tracey Baird, Gene Hess, Nick Collins, Jessie Ruane, Molly Ryan Director: Krysia Plonka Writers: Ryan Harrington, Isaac Himmelman, Brendan Ryan Cast: Ryan Harrington, Isaac Himmelman, Jessie Ruane, Brendan Ryan, Wayne Mackins, Rob Ventre, Kym Zlogar, Mac Edgerly, Molly Ryan, Scott Swayze, Oona Dolven, Ben Maters, Brooklyn Moving Company is an original musical comedy…about furniture movers. Only these movers don’t just whistle while they work – they burst out into song and dance. All the time. Like, every episode. This upbeat crew take it upon themselves to transform the turbulent lives of their unsuspecting clientele…through the power of song, naturally. Join the unconventional, arguably invasive (but always delightful) Brooklyn Moving Company as they shepherd your family’s memories to a new home.. Jury Statement: This year’s SeriesFest pilots offered us the opportunity to spend a half hour in a spectacular array of worlds filled with a rich and diverse set of characters and stories. As a jury, we considered creating a special consideration award for inclusivity in storytelling, but given the organic diversity in virtually every pilot in this comedy block both in front of and behind the camera, we were thrilled that choosing a recipient of an award would be impossible. We believe that all the pilots in this category and their creators have an exciting future beyond SeriesFest, and we are thrilled to announce our winners. Jury Statement about Best Pilot: A great pilot offers a concept and set of characters that we as viewers hope to follow over many episodes and seasons. On a shoestring budget, Brooklyn Moving Company offered us a warm, exciting, campy, musical world that we wanted to live in far beyond the pilot. With top-notch musical performances and songs, a clear series arc, and a balance of humor and high stakes, we as an audience want to continue to visit this world episode after episode, from the holiday special to the Very Special Episode. We look forward to seeing how this zany set of characters interact not only with the families in the homes they enter, but also with each other.
Best Director: Laura Moss, Neurotica Best Writer: Jake Delaney, Cara Fano, Paige Hoffman, The Filth Best Actress: Lauren Aboulafia, Broker Best Actor: Omar Maskati, Revenge Tour
WINNER – MULTI-HYPHENATEJury: Nina Dobrev (Actress/Producer), Sean Walsh (Manager, Strategy, ABC Entertainment) and David Rubin (Agent, Gersh) Multi-Hyphenate Award: Ruthie Marantz, Actor-Writer-Director, Rainbow RuthieMeet Ruthie. She’s 35. She’s a former teen star of Manhattan Public Access TV. She’s grieving the death of her father. And she’s a hot mess. After a bad night out, Ruthie re-watches her public access show, “Rainbow Ruthie,” that she has kept locked away (physically and emotionally) for the past twenty years. With the help of her roommates, Ayumi and Parker, she discovers her ex-nemesis, Mira, is now an extremely popular (and extremely nauseating) social media star. When Ruthie posts a reaction video in an attempt to kick Mira out of the spotlight, the video goes viral. And suddenly, after a two-decade hiatus, Rainbow Ruthie is back where she belongs. Equal parts biting and nostalgic, Rainbow Ruthie is a comedy about re-finding your truth in the age of social media. Jury Statement: In a time before Instagram, social media, or even DVDs “Rainbow” Ruthie Marantz was writing, directing, and starring in her own brand of content. She was making stories before “stories” existed…on VHS. Years later, her continued mastery of writing and directing combined with onscreen performance continues to resonate and impress. A natural multi-hyphenate from a very young age, Ruthie shows us the courage, vulnerability, and strength that it takes to willingly give yourself over to a captive audience, and we continue to be impressed and captivated. This is why we wanted to create a new category honoring creators who wear multiple hats. Ruthie was a natural selection for this role, having fearless creative control over nearly every element of her productions from a young age up to today. We can’t wait to see more from her, and we are excited to give her this special recognition.
AUDIENCE AWARD WINNER – INDEPENDENT PILOT
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